Buoy.



R. W. EARLE.

BUOY. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1909.

1,026,977. Patented May 21, 1912.

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Fug! 1 1 92 P WITNESSES: INVENTOI? coLummA I-LANUQMAPM cvqwaxnmnroN. n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REGINALD W. EARLE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG-NOR TO NELSON GOODYEAR, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

BUOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REGINALD WV. EAnLn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buoys, ofwhich the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings.

This invention relates to gas buoys, of the type in which solid gasgenerating material, as car-bid, and water, are brought together togenerate gas, and in which whistling means are also provided on the buoyconnected to be operated by variations in air pressure due to thesurging of the sea water in a whistling tube or compartment open at itslower end.

The objects of the invention are to improve ,upon the construction andarrangement of such buoys and suitable apparatus for carrying out theinvention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is anelevation partly in section of a buoy embodying the invention; Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional view on the ine 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking from above;Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in section of a modification; Fig. 4: is ahorizontal sectional View on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 3, looking fromabove.

Referring to the drawings A represents a float and B is a lanternsuitably supported from Dthe float by the frame-work G and cas- 1n T isa whistle and G is a hopper provided with suitable feeding mechanisminclosed within the casing H.

J is a carbid feeding valve of any suitable construction.

In both forms of the invention illustrated in the drawings the gasgenerating chamber or compartment K and the air compressing means in theform of a whistling tube or compartment L are symmetrically arrangedwith respect toeach other.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 the gasgenerating chamber K in which the gas generating material and the waterare brought together, is preferably arranged centrally of the float A,while the whistling tube or compartment L is arranged eccentrically inthe float. In order to counterbalance the weight of the whistling tube asuitable adjustable weight 0 is provided connected to the buoy by theframe P. Buffers Q, preferably of wood, are provided for preventing thechafing of the mooring chains against the sides of the buoy. The gasgenerated in the enerating chamber K is conducted to the lantern Bthrough suitable piping running along the framework C. The gasgenerating chamber K is preferably provided with a plurality of baflleplates S pivoted on the rods T and provided with fastening devices at U,so that these plates may be moved into an upright positlon, if desiredfor cleaning purposes. The lower end V of the generating chamber opensinside the whistling compartment L, as shown, and is preferablyrestricted to prevent surging of the sea water. The whistling tube L isconnected to the whistle by means of the pipes W W which may bedisconnected at the joint Y. The

lower pipe W passes through the sealed sleeve Z and is removablyconnected at a to the top of the float. Suitable man-holes b areprovided in the buoy and an eye a for elevating the buoy from the water.

Fig. 3 is like Fig. 1 except that the whistling tube or compartment L isarranged with the center of curvature of its outer wall concentric withthe float, while the gas generating chamber K is arranged eccentrically.The adjustable weight 0 in this instance counterbalances the weight ofthe gas generating chamber.

According to this invention it will be seen that a large cross sectionalarea is provided for the whistling tube or compartment, thus obtaininggreat pressure of air for operating the whistle F, due to the surging ofa large body of water in the whistling tube.

Furthermore, the whistling compartment is of sufficient size to enable aworkman to enter said compartment when it is necessary to clean thebuoy. The workman may also enter the gas generating chamber by pushingup the deflectors or battle plates S to enable him to pass between thebaffle plates and the walls of the chamber after detachin the inclinedplate forming the lower end I claim and desire to obtain by LettersPatent the following 1. A gas buoy having a hopper and a eneratingchamber for making gas, a whist ing tube or com artment, and a floattherefor, and in whic the generating chamber and whistling compartmentare constructed together and are eccentric, the said generating chamberterminating at its lower end in a restricted mouth within the whistlingcompartment.

2. A gas buoy having a hopper and a gencrating chamber for making gas, awhistling tube or compartment, and a float therefor, and in which thegenerating chamber and whistling compartment are constructed togetherand are eccentric, the said generating v chamber terminating above andwithin the hopper placed substantially centrally of the float andcontained therein, and a whistling compartment lying close 'to the saidgenerating chamber, the generating chamber and whistling compartmentbeing eccentric to each other and one of them eccentric to the 5. In agas buoy, the combination with the float, of generating and whistlingcompartments constructed together and eccentrically disposed to eachother, and means chamber, an eccentrically arranged whistling tubeconstructed together with said generating chamber, and means forcounterbalancing the eccentric disposition of the weight of said tube. V

7 A gas buoy having a float and a hopper and generating chamber placedsubstantially centrally of the float and having a whistling tubeconstructed to ether with and close to the generating cham er'on oneside thereof eccentric to the float and means for counterbalancing thedistribution of the weight of said chamber and tube.

8. A gas buoy having a float, a hopper, a generating chamber suppliedfrom the hopper, a whistling compartment lying close to said generatingchamber, the generating chamber and whistling compartment beingeccentric to each other and one of them eccentric to the float, andmeans for counterbalancing the distribution of the weight of saidchamber and compartment.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presenceoftwo subscribing witnesses, Aug. 3rd 1909.

REGINALD WV. EARLE.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1).- 0;

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,026,977, granted May21, 1912,

upon the application of Reginald W. Earle, of New York, N. Y., for animprovement in Buoys, an error appears in the printed specificationrequiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 13, for the wordsymmetrically read asymmetrically;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correctiontherein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of June, A. D., 1912.

C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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